This advice was taken from a survey of 180 ESL learners in an urban high school:
Write things, including homework, on the chalkboard.
Slow down the speed when speaking at length.
Don't isolate us at the back of the room.
Ask me to stay for help (I'm too shy to ask).
Encourage us to be active in class (it helps me get courage).
Give us easier questions and passages to read orally at first.
Give us more than one day for homework assignments.
Review work and write important things on the chalkboard.
Help us to work in groups.
Take an interest in me other than just my marks.
Hand out notes so I can study at home.
Encourage other students to work with us.
Have lots of patience.
Don't judge me by my English.
Don't treat us like strangers.
Check to see if I understand.
Explain difficult vocabulary and give us a vocabulary sheet with meanings (it takes so long to look up so many words).
Don't insult us when we don't understand.
Please don't say I'm not listening. I really am.
Smile.
Source:
Helmer, Sylvia and Catherine Eddy (2003). Look at Me When I Talk to You: ESL Learners in Non-ESL
Classrooms. Don Mills, Ontario: Pippin.
Advice from our ESL Students:
Be enthusiastic about what you teach and I will be more interested.
Engage me in conversation because you are patient and can help me improve my English.
Learn about my culture as I have learned about yours.
Ask the Multicultural Cultural Worker to translate for me it I can't understand what you are saying to me if we have a conflict.
Encourage me to get involved in school clubs so I can make more Canadian friends.
Please get involved if you see a student saying something racist to another student. This makes me feel safe.
Learn about your ESL student's culture by checking out the Culture Profiles Project from the Federal government. The magazine The New Internationalist also has country profiles featured in the publication over the years.
This advice was taken from a survey of 180 ESL learners in an urban high school:
Source:
Helmer, Sylvia and Catherine Eddy (2003). Look at Me When I Talk to You: ESL Learners in Non-ESL
Classrooms. Don Mills, Ontario: Pippin.
Advice from our ESL Students:
Learn about your ESL student's culture by checking out the Culture Profiles Project from the Federal government. The magazine The New Internationalist also has country profiles featured in the publication over the years.